Phew

There was a moment yesterday when I thought we really were going to be underwater. The waves were lapping at the entrance to the other half’s chief shed, and already creeping up the garage floor. With the bikes and other vulnerable stuff moved to higher ground, we had to drive to Notso Bigtown, wondering what we would be coming back to. Coming back, through driving rain we saw the jewelled glint of eyes in the hedgerow – a dozen miserable sheep, huddled in what little shelter there was.

But fortunately, the waters had begun to recede before we went to bed last night and this morning the yard was clear, the sun was out and the wind was drying up the worst of it. I even cycled down to get the paper, although I came back soaked from the knees down, having had to negotiate more floods than I had ever seen before. The ground is completely and utterly saturated now, and every dip and hollow is an impromptu lake, every ditch and stream is overflowing. Parts of Bigtown are still underwater, and there’s more rain to come, although not on the scale we’ve seen this week.

But never mind all that, I hear you cry, what news of the ford? Well, such is our dedication to the blog that yesterday morning, before all the drama began, we headed out in the rain to check the level. And I think you’ll agree that this time we have a new high score.

(You’ll note that this is not photographed from the traditional angle. But that would have meant crossing the bridge and you know what? I didn’t fancy it…)